Tag Archives: Patrick Wilson

Saturday is Horror Day #142 – Insidious: The Red Door

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Insidious: The Red Door

Josh Lambert (Patrick Wilson) and his family have been through a lot, especially Josh and his son Dalton, who both experience astral projection. They decide to put everything aside. Josh and Dalton are hypnotized into forgetting everything that took that year, and all knowledge of the Further.

Nine years go by, life goes on. Josh and Renai (Rose Byrne) are divorced, and there is a strain in the relationship between Josh and his kids. When Josh’s mother dies, the family assembles for the funeral, just before Dalton is set to leave for college. Renai urges Josh to offer to drive Dalton, which he does, and Dalton reluctantly accepts. Upon arrival at the university, Josh tries to help Dalton be more social by giving him a flyer/invitation to a frat party, although Dalton insists that isn’t his scene. They find his dorm room and then when his roommate enters, he finds it’s a girl named Chris (Sinclair Daniel).

Dalton is taking an art class, and the teacher tells the students to reach deep inside of them for a memory, but when he does, he doesn’t understand what the red door means. But he is starting to see things he can’t explain. He and Chris decide to get to the bottom of things, but at what cost?

I love the Insidious movies, especially Patrick Wilson, and I don’t think this one disappoints. There is a definite creep factor, and the way the tension builds is wonderful. I think that beneath the surface story of the father and son getting back the time that was lost, it’s about healing and letting go and moving on. Look for a surprise appearance at the end of the film! All in all a satisfactory watch. I believe this will be the last of the series.I’ll give this film 4 Stars.

Saturday is Horror Day #119 – Ichi the Killer, Let’s Kill Ward’s Wife

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

 Ichi the Killer

Kakihara (Tadanobu Asano) is a yakuza enforcer who definitely stands out in a crowd because of his blond hair, his strange facial markings, and the wires around his mouth. When his boss goes missing, Kakihara vows to find him no matter what, and no matter who tells him to leave the matter alone. Kakihara is a sadomasochist who enjoys receiving pain as much as he likes inflicting it.

In the course of his search, he discovers a killer named Ichi (Nao Omori), a young sensitive man who has

been trained to destroy the bullies of the world, having witnessed a very traumatic scene in his youth. He leaves a wake of death and destruction wherever he goes, and Kakihara can’t help but be impressed. Perhaps this is someone who can offer pain beyond his wildest dreams.

Let me start by saying this is a very violent film, so violent it has been banned in various countries, not such which ones or if that ban still exists today. This is just what I read. Yes, very violent and visceral, but very well done also.  I am not familiar with the director, Takashi Miike, but I understand he is very respected in the industry. This story was taken from a manga, again one I am not familiar with.

There are some very compelling characters and outstanding performances here. If you are in any way squeamish, I would not recommend it. That being said, there are some interesting twists if you can stick with it. It is a little long, over two hours, but worth the watch. Kakihara and Ichi are both compelling characters. I give this film 4 Stars.

Let’s Kill Ward’s Wife

To say that Ward (Donald Faison) is henpecked by his wife Stacy (Dagmara Dominczyk) would be an understatement. His friends have all noticed it and hate it. Not that they don’t have issues of their own. David (Patrick Wilson) is a temporarily unemployed actor who is separated from his wife Amanda (Marika Dominczyk). Ronnie (James Carpinello) is an unmarried womanizer. Tom Bradford (Scott Foley) works with Ward as a reporter, and is married to Gina (Amy Acker), but he makes a date with a woman he interviews. Ward and Stacy hold a party for son Ramon’s christening, but of course, Ward ruins it (at least in her eyes) and she doesn’t stop ranting. Ward’s friends watch the spectacle from across the room with great dismay. We need to kill Ward’s wife is the general consensus.

An unfortunate circumstance arises in which Scott actually does kill her. Now how are they going to get rid of the body? Friends (and wives) have to stick together, right? There is a slight complication, though. Ward’s neighbor Bruce (Greg Grunberg) is a cop. And he wants to hang with the guys and play golf. Think they can distract him from figuring out what happened as they dispose of the body and then report Ward’s wife missing?

This is definitely a dark movie with elements of comedy. Which doesn’t make it a comedy, per se. Nobody is perfect in this film, not the guys and certainly not Ward’s wife. But I also think that maybe she is suffering from PPD, since Ward says she was fine until she became pregnant. This is like the ultimate bro movie – what would you do for your friend? Even Ward isn’t fazed by his wife’s death once he realizes he’s gained the world. Interesting film. I’ll give it 3.5 Stars.

Saturday is Horror Day #84 – A Quiet Place, Annabelle Comes Home

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

A Quiet Place

Monsters have invaded our world, terrifying blind creatures with preternatural hearing. At all costs, don’t let them hear you or your life is forfeit. Survival is the name of the game for the Abbott family. Lee (John Krasinski), his wife Evelyn (Emily Blunt) and their three children. They are always on the move, staying ahead of the creatures, keeping silent in order to not be heard. But little children sometimes do stupid things, and the Abbotts’ youngest is taken from them. Daughter Regan (Millicent Simmonds) feels guilty for what has happened, and feels that her father blames her too, and doesn’t love her as much as her brother Marcus (Noah Jupe).

The Abbotts have a farm where they have set up a system of lights that warn of danger if the lights are red. Lee works with electronics and sound and has devised ear plugs that two people can use to share music. He takes his terrified son out one day and explains to him that if there is a louder noise, that noise will attract their attention every time. Evelyn becomes pregnant, which brings its own problems with it, such as a crying baby, but they have provided for that with a special place for the newborn. However, when plans go awry, the whole family finds itself in danger.

 

This film demands you give it a certain amount of attention because so much of it is visual as the people dare not speak. It’s a post-apocalyptic world, although I’m not really sure how the creatures got there. But they’re there, and the world is in serious danger. It’s bleak and somewhat horrifying. I can’t imagine having to deal with this kind of life. I know if I can’t listen to my music at the office, the silence drives me nuts. They can’t talk to one another, play music, and they always have to worry about making any sound. John Krasinski is also the director of this film, and I think he did a good job. I’m looking forward to the second one. I’ll give this film 4 Stars

Annabelle Comes Home

Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) Warren are going on a business trip so they engage local teenager Mary Ellen (Madison Iseman). Mary Ellen’s classmate Daniela (Katie Sarife) learns of her job with the Warrens and invites herself over to the house. She befriends Judy Warren (McKenna Grace), who doesn’t have many friends. Daniela is excited to be in the Warrens’ home and asks a lot of questions, especially about where the haunted items they collect are. She is told they are downstairs, but the door is locked and no one is allowed down there.

Daniela persists and finds an opportunity to stay at the house while Mary Ellen and Judy are gone. She immediately begins snooping, and manages to find the key, letting herself into the forbidden area. She is fascinated by what she sees, especially the creepy looking doll in the glass case which has a sign warning not to open it ever. But as she’s looking around, the doll seems to move, and curiosity gets the better of the girl, and she opens the case.

 

This isn’t the worst film of the Conjuring series, but it isn’t exactly good either. Somewhat predictable, it 

utilizes cheap jump scares. We do find out why Daniela is obsessed with the Warrens, as she wants to contact her late father, who died in a car accident while she was driving. I think the film suffered from the lack of the Warrens, but then it would never have happened either because they would not have allowed access. If you are just into watching the series, go ahead. Otherwise, not worth it. I’ll give it 3 Stars, mostly because I like Patrick Wilson.

Saturday is Horror Day #81 – Home Sweet Hell, Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Home Sweet Hell

Life seems sweet for Don Champagne (Patrick Wilson). He has a successful home furnishing store that he runs with his partner Les (Jim Belushi). He has a beautiful wife, Mona (Katherine Heigl) and two great children. But life in suburbia isn’t what it appears to be. A pretty young thing named Dusty (Jordana Brewster) applies for a job at the store, and he hires her, to Les’ delight, because Les’ wife has Crohn’s disease and he likes to have eye candy to look at when he’s working.

 

Mona is rather controlling of  everything in their lives. She even has a book of goals she means them to achieve, and she schedules everything, including their lovemaking. Starved for attention, Don is an easy prey for Dusty, and he begins a torrid affair with her. But when she turns up pregnant, now it’s a whole new ballgame. What’s a guy to do?

 

The premise of this movie is an interesting one, what with Mona doing the dirty deeds that Don can’t 

find it within himself to do. But at the same time, there is something that doesn’t quite ring true in this dark comedy.  It’s slow to find its pace and the acting is somewhat stereotypical. Mona is unlikeable – too controlling and too psycho. It’s hinted that she suffered some sort of trauma as a child but when Don asks her about it, she gets defensive and warns him that if he asks her that ever again, she’ll end him.

Jim Belushi’s character spends most of his time drunk and whining about his poor wife with the Crohn’s Disease (and btw, those jokes are very insensitive and not funny) Jordana Brewster, whom I haven’t seen since she was in As the World Turns, plays a femme fatale with an agenda but no real personality. And Kevin McKidd is Dusty’s boyfriend’s friend, Freeman. Typical thug types.

I didn’t dislike the film but I feel it could have been better. If you’re like me, you’ll google the ending to figure out what happened. Guess there won’t be a sequel. I’ll give this 3 Stars, mostly because I like Patrick Wilson.

The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It

 

Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) Warren are a married couple who know a little something about demonic possession. Called to assist with the exorcism of an 8-year-old boy David Glatzel (Julian Hilliard), they are successful in ridding him of his demon… but only because the demon has unknown to them transferred itself to Arne Johnson (Ruairi O’Connor). Arne invited the demon in to save David. Be careful what you ask for. After returning home, he ends up getting into an altercation with his friend Bruno (Ronnie Gene Blevins) and kills him. Up on trial for the murder, Arne’s lawyer pleads not guilty…by reason of demonic possession. The Warrens have to prove this is so.

The Warren’s search for the truth is hampered by Ed’s ill health when he suffers a serious heart attack. But nothing will stop Ed in assisting with the investigation and looking after Lorraine.

 

This is the third film in the series about real life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. I 

 can’t vouch for how accurate the films are compared to the real couple, or how much of the stories are true. But they are interesting. And again, we have Patrick Wilson to look at. Nuff said. I don’t find this series as scary as Insidious but I do enjoy them. I have another Annabelle movie to watch and the Curse of La Llarona (from the same universe). I would recommend the series as worth watching. Also, look for actor John Noble in this one.  I’ll give this film 3.5 Stars.